CNH industrial, Farmers Edge announce digital ag agreement

CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE: CNHI / MI:CNHI) and Farmers Edge, a Canadian-based agri-tech company focused on data-driven agricultural decision-support systems, announced recently that they have entered into a strategic digital agriculture agreement that will make available a portfolio of connectivity and agronomic solutions to Case IH and New Holland customers. Through this agreement, Case IH and New Holland Agriculture, the global agricultural brands of CNH Industrial, will provide their customers with access to FarmCommand, a unique platform that interfaces with the brands’ existing precision farming portals and further extends the range of planning, analysis, execution and agronomic decision making information available to them.

As the exclusive OEM partner of Farmers Edge, this service offers Case IH and New Holland customers a tiered approach to agronomic services, with increasing levels of data and support available, enabling them to select the service – with a transparent per acre pricing structure – that best suits their needs. The entry level services focus on FarmCommand, Farmers Edge cloud-based farm data management platform which analyzes data in real time and satellite imagery – in partnership with Planet Labs – providing daily satellite imagery for unsurpassed crop growth insights. This is progressively enriched with field-originated weather data – gathered from farm-based weather stations– vehicle data, and agronomic support, and tops out with variable rate prescriptions with either generic or zoned soil sampling services. This partnership not only foresees digital support, as customers selecting the premium packages will also have access to on-farm, in-person agronomist support, to develop and monitor tailored agronomic plans.

“Thanks to this strategic partnership, we will be able to offer our global brands’ customers a uniquely integrated digital agricultural platform, helping them to further optimize productivity and efficiency in their day-to-day operations,” said Hubertus Mühlhäuser, Chief Executive Officer, CNH Industrial.

This agreement will allow Case IH and New Holland customers to connect their current and legacy machinery fleets with CAN bus functionality to the Farmers Edge platform. This will deliver tangible gains in all three key stages of the crop data cycle: collection, planning and execution, and offers one of the most complete solutions on the market, going well beyond the standard API data sharing connection.

It can also be used with mixed-fleets, further enhancing customers’ choice. This is a fundamental element of CNH Industrial’s approach to Precision Farming Solutions, which empower customers to select the service or tool which is right for them and enable them to maintain control of their data with opt-in logic. As the system utilizes the 3G and 4G telecommunications network, connectivity is retained, even in the most remote areas.

“We are aligning ourselves to work towards a common goal of delivering a new wave of decision agriculture adoption. The partnership brings exclusive options and services that combine reliable products and technological innovations translating into performance and productivity enhancements,” said Wade Barnes, Chief Executive Officer of Farmers Edge.

Case IH and New Holland dealers will offer the Farmers Edge suite of services, facilitating them in proactively supporting their customers, as this platform will enable sharing of real-time machine information with their local Case IH or New Holland dealer, enabling them to receive enhanced product support services. This solution will undergo a phased roll-out, starting in the first quarter of 2019 in North America, and will subsequently become available in Latin America, Australia, Europe, Russia and Ukraine.

Earlier this year, Farmers Edge announced a partnership with Raven Industries. The two companies are working together to develop new precision agriculture technologies that will rapidly increase expansion of Farmers Edge digital agronomy and risk management solutions in key markets. The collaboration leverages the use of streaming data transfer between CanPlugs and Raven Slingshot and field computers.